Tales of the Shire Could Break its Cozy Mold with One Story Beat from LotR

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It appears that “Tales of the Shire” is poised to be one of the most comforting games of 2025, allowing players to design and personalize their own hobbit character while living a tranquil existence in the hamlet of Bywater. The game will incorporate common comforting elements such as cooking, decorating, gardening, and fishing. However, “Tales of the Shire” might deviate from the typical “cozy game” pattern by weaving a narrative influenced by an event late in “The Return of the King”: the Scouring of the Shire.

What Is The Scouring Of The Shire In Lord of the Rings?

In the latter stages of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”, I found myself in the role of a once contented hobbit, Lotho Sackville-Baggins, who seized control over our peaceful Shire. With ambitions far beyond agriculture, he transformed it into an industrial hub, disrupting its tranquil rhythm. But alas, the wily Saruman, embittered by his repeated defeats and seeking to strike at my mentor Gandalf, ousted Lotho and seized power himself. Under his tyrannical rule as the crime lord “Sharkey”, he filled our land with ruffians and goblins, ravaged much of it, and took the lives of many hobbits.

In the aftermath of their lengthy voyage, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, who had seen war firsthand, managed to unite the hobbits and overpower Saruman’s troops during a skirmish called “the Battle of Bywater.” Saruman ultimately met his end at the hands of his own servant, Grima, weary of continued mistreatment. In due course, harmony and wealth gradually restored themselves in the Shire. The Battle of Bywater is not depicted in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy; however, a ravaged Shire was glimpsed in Galadriel’s mirror as a potential future in The Fellowship of the Ring. This event is one of the key moments from the books that did not make it into the films.

Tales of the Shire Could Include A Greed- And Industrialization-Centric Plot

In “Tales of the Shire,” the story unfolds after the conclusion of “The Hobbit” yet precedes the events of “The Lord of the Rings.” This means that the ominous Scouring of the Shire, which lies far ahead in time, is not yet a reality. However, it’s possible for the narrative to be influenced by the Scouring and feature a plot revolving around an ambitious character seeking to govern or industrialize the Shire, much like Lotho Sackville-Baggins, or an outsider aiming to overpower the tranquil hobbit community, reminiscent of Saruman’s eventual ambitions. Mentioning the Scouring of the Shire within “Tales of the Shire” would be fitting, as the game is set in a town called Bywater, which bears the same name as the battle that eventually drove out Saruman and his army.

A Tales Of The Shire Antagonist Should Take Inspiration From Lotho

In the storyline of the game, it would be fitting to have a character reminiscent of Lotho Sackville-Baggins serving as the antagonist. Even though Lotho may not be present during the events of Tales of the Shire, his characteristics make him an ideal villain for a hobbit-themed narrative. Lotho, being ambitious and coveting wealth and property, particularly Bag End, embodies the perfect antagonist. Unhappy with his current circumstances, Lotho engages in illicit trade of Shire pipe-weed with humans, amassing great wealth and acquiring substantial property which he industrializes. He wields power ruthlessly, imprisoning any who dare oppose him until eventually overthrown by Saruman and meeting his end at the hands of Grima.

Lotho is a shadowy version of an ambitious Hobbit, standing out against heroic characters like Bilbo and Frodo. A character such as him, who desires wealth, land, and power within the Shire, could serve as an intriguing adversary for the main character in “Tales of the Shire.” It’s possible that he might belong to the Sackville-Baggins family, since Lotho’s parents, Otho and Lobelia, were alive during the time period covered in “Tales of the Shire,” and they might find Bywater an ideal spot for seizing land because they couldn’t have Bag End.

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2025-01-13 23:03